Detention Days
by cannibalisticReaper
Summary: Two kids get sent to the office for something that was SO not their fault. Once there, Eridan encounters a girl who's almost as arrogant as him, and when they're both stuck together in detention for the next week, he finds himself growing closer and closer to her, much to his chagrin. Although, maybe her patience and affection is what he really needs? TW: Cursing, humanstuck, OC
1. Stupid Ex-Girlfriends

**TavvyTaurus requested on my story 'You'll Never Be Alone Again' that I write more Phaedra/Eridan stories. Since I pretty much adore my OC's, and my beloved Eridan, I decided to go ahead and do it, so I'll be working on multiple works at once now. Phaedra, Troi, and Bovina are my OC's and Lumia is my sister's. This will probably only be about ten chapters, documenting Eridan and Phaedra in detention starting in chapter three, so enjoy!**

_Phaedra's POV -How You Got Stuck in the Office- _

"Hey Phaedra, darling, I've decided to give you another chance. I've taken the past week to think it over and I realized that you'd be completely lost without me."

You lull your head to the side as your gaze lazily drifts to a lovely girl with bright blonde hair and big blue eyes. She's wearing a hot pink mini skirt, a pair of Mary Janes, a light pink purse, and a freshly bleached halter top. In between her fingers limply hangs a white sucker, probably Pina Colada (seeing as that was always her favorite flavor), and around her neck is the emerald necklace you got for her on your guys' one year anniversary. She's blessing you with one of her rare smiles that practically radiate perfection and show off her sparkling teeth that remind you of marshmallows because they're just so white! So, when her light blue eyes meet your dark indigo ones, you offer a lopsided grin and extend a hand. She giggles and places her own dainty hand atop your slightly larger one, bringing her free one to cover her mouth cutely. Being the chivalrous girl you are, you stand up and grip her hand tenderly, towering over her by a couple inches and beaming down at her like she's the only girl in the world.

"Oh Samich," you sigh whilst using the nickname you gave her, bringing your empty hand up and under her chin, tilting her face upwards as you lean in, noses almost brushing against each other, "My dear, angelic Samantha."

You use her real name the second time, angling your head a bit so that your noses won't bump into each other: can't have that, now can we? Her eyes widen and you pull her body against yours, making her gasp. You chuckle heartedly and the breath hitches in her throat at the familiar sound.

"I thought we went over this last week," you continue, leaning your head forward until your lips barely graze against hers and her entire body tenses up, "but I guess I'll just have to repeat myself: I fucking broke up with you."

You wish you could take a picture of the look on her face because, holy fucking shit, it was priceless. That lustful look in her eyes faded, first to confusion, then to sorrow, and lastly rage. Her lips twitched downwards into a scowl and her brow furrowed as she tried to process what just happened. You don't give her time, though, and push her away in disgust. She scoffs as you plop back down on the plastic orange chair and turn around, resting your elbows on the lunch table. You prop your head up with your hands, exchanging a glance with your sister Lumia across the table. She giggles and brings a hand up to silence the noise, unsuccessfully I might add. Beside you, your best friend Troi doesn't even bother trying to conceal his laughter, letting loose a series of hysterical laughs and the occasional snort.

"How DARE you!"

Oh god she's still here? You groan and look at your friend/ex-girlfriend Bovina pleadingly. You wish all of your breakups could've ended like the one with her: mutual and without resentment. She just smirks and shrugs, silently telling you to deal with it on your own. You frown at her and she just cackles, draping an arm casually over her girlfriend's shoulders. Said girlfriend, a gorgeous girl named Vriska Serket, leans into Bovina's side and grins evilly which, you'll admit, looks kind of hot. You dare say if she weren't with Bovina, you might have half a mind to court her. But you wouldn't dare, even if she and Bovina didn't work out: that would likely tear up your friendship, and you don't roll that way. Besides, you and Vriska had become good friends within the month she'd been dating Bovina, and you don't wanna give that up either. You're a bit selfish in that way.

"Damn PhaePhae, that was cold," Troi gets out between laughs, doubling the first half of your name like he does with everyone else. Vriska was VrisVris (which she utterly despised), Bovina was BoBo, and Lumia was LuLu. She got the best nickname out of all of you: go figure. She was always being blessed like that.

"Shut your fucking mouth Troi," Samantha snapped, and you just know she's narrowing her eyes at him and scrunching her face up in the cutest way. She always was adorable when she got upset. You swivel the chair around, making a lot of noise as the legs scrape against the titled floor, and sure enough she's making the face you'd predicted and DAMN did she look marvelous. Too bad she was a huge bitch all the time.

"Look babe, I ain't got time for this. Don't you think wasting a year and a half on you was enough?" you ask calmly, looking her dead in the eyes when she glares at you. All three of your girls laugh, and Troi just grins at your little wise crack because he pretty much got all the laughter out earlier. Have you ever mentioned how much you adore your friends?

"Ugh can't we just talk about this somewhere else? You're friends are just SO annoying!" she begs, pouting to get her way which USED to always work. Now it just annoyed you. You're about to say something along the lines of 'shut your mouth about my friends before I (insert threat here)', but your sister Lumia speaks up instead.

"Look, I'm not trying to start anything, but Phaedra doesn't want anything to do with you so please just leave," she insists as nicely as possible, and you twist your body to give her a look of thanks. Apparently, her attempt at kindness goes unnoticed because Samantha is rounding the table and getting in her face.

"Nobody asked for your input, bitch," Samantha seethes, pushing Lumia's shoulders. The orange chair your sister is sitting in scoots back, and you watch her stand up to get away: she never did care for conflict. Samantha cackles and forces her back into the chair, making Lumia yelp. You stand up abruptly and send your chair far behind you, but before you can charge over there Troi is grabbing your wrist to stop you. Samantha takes notice of you stirring, you just KNOW IT because now she's smirking: that bitch is putting on a show.

She grabs the collar of Lumia's vest, which was buttoned at the moment, and tugs her forward. She spits in your sisters face and you glare daggers at Troi, who just sighs and let's go of your wrist so you can do what you should've done months ago. You growl and round the table, to which she turns and gives you puppy eyes. You hesitate: those eyes ALWAYS got you. They got you when you first met, they got you after your first fight, and they got you when she cheated the first three times, but there was no way in hell they'd be getting you today!

You just grin before swinging your fist back and sailing it forward, striking the bridge of her nose. She stumbles backwards and falls in Lumia's lap, clenching the bridge of her nose as tears well up from the pain. You grab the collar of her shirt and yank her off, this time landing a hit where her right eye is. She cries out and raises her arms to shield her face, falling onto the tiled cafeteria floor and bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Please Phae! Don't hurt me!" she pleads, and you almost show her mercy. Heh, almost. You chuckle maniacally and kick her in the side of the head, making her fall so that she was lying on the floor. Now, you know better than to kick someone when they were down, so you guess you'll just have to pick her up before you hit her again, right? You grab her silky blond hair and yank her head up, forcing her to get on her feet before eyeing her predatorily.

"Do me a favor darling," you say in a sweet tone before switching to something on the verge of demonic, "Don't you EVER fucking TOUCH Lumia again!"

When it came to your friends/family, you made a habit of sticking up for them to the fullest extent. You spit in Samantha's face and press her head down, connecting your knee with her face and tossing her aside. You sneer at her before looking back at Lumia, making sure that your sister is ok. You kneel in front of her and straighten the collar of her vest, smoothing out the wrinkles and wiping away Samantha's saliva. She pushes you away with a smile: even though you're a year older, she really doesn't like to be fussed over so much.

"Phaedra I'm fine, relax," she reassures, and then someone is tapping on your shoulder. You're pretty sure you know who it is, and what Bovina says just confirms your suspicions.

"Oh shit, you're screwed!" she exclaims, breaking into a series of laughter with her girlfriend. You sigh and turn around and, sure enough, it's the principal: Mr. English. He was a temperamental dude, NOTHING like the vice principal Dr. Scratch. That dude was tops, but Mr. English? Not so much: he pretty much hates you.

"Phaedra Ellistin: office, NOW!" he shouts, gaining the attention of everyone in the lunchroom. The students all 'oooooo' like they were prone to do, and you just raise your middle fingers to them while addressing the principal.

"Hey Cal!" you greet, calling him by the shortened version of his last name, "What seems to be the issue?"

He growls at you and points at Samantha, who's just sort of lying on the floor and groaning in pain. Your lips betray you and form a cocky smirk as you stare at her: unmoving.

"Somebody get that girl to the nurses office!" he instructs, and some random kid you don't know drags her away, "As for YOU! You're coming with me!"

You roll your eyes and walk towards the office, familiar with this route and how this worked already. It was the seventh day of your junior year here at Sburb High, and you'd already been to the office five times. None of those times had been as serious as this one, but they still got you a call home and some detention. You've grown used to detention though, seeing as you had it for your entire sophomore year. Good times, good times.

You walk into the office and plop yourself down on one of the two chairs, propping your feet up on the second. You look over at the secretary, Ms. Paint, and wave. She looks at you and chuckles a bit, bringing her hand to her lips to hide the amusement. Then she waves back at you with a welcoming smile before getting back to work. She was such a nice lady, although, she didn't really talk much. What a shame.

"You stay here until Dr. Scratch comes to deal with you, ya little shit," Cal seethes, storming towards his office in a huff.

"Later Cal! It was nice that we could have this little chat," you call after him, pissing him off even more and causing him to slam the door behind him once he entered his office. Ms. Paint brought a hand to her heart and jolted a little, spooked from his outburst, but was quick to resume her duties. Then the door to the office opens and in walks the boy you'll be spending the majority of your detentions with. Although, neither of you know that quite yet.

**Alright starting September 1****st****, I will finally be taking requests! Any ship, any quadrant, any rating! Yay for advertisement! **


	2. Stupid Fucking Whores

_Eridan's POV -How You Got Stuck in the Office- _

You escape to the bathroom as the crowd of students rush towards the cafeteria, eager to get their grubby little hands on something to eat. Admittedly, you'd fancy something to eat as well, but you wouldn't dare enter that room especially since THEY were in there. It was just your luck, really, to have the same lunch period as those two. It was unfair that you had to skip lunches, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do, and in this case a man's got to cower in a bathroom to avoid running into his ex-girlfriend and her new boy toy.

Her name was Feferi Peixes and she'd had no fucking problem dumping you on the first day of junior year. For the past week you've been avoiding her to the best of your abilities and it pretty much sucked, but as of three days ago there's been a new addition to the list of people you need to stay away from: her asshole boyfriend. He simply adored tormenting you, always holding her hand and junk RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! Seriously, the nerve of some people! If only everyone were as considerate as you: then life would be perfect.

Once the hallways quiet down, you peer around the corner just to make sure they were empty: they were. You sigh and exit the distasteful restroom, making your way to the library so you can wallow in self-pity and literature until it's time for you to endure hell. By that, you mean classes, obviously. You've memorized the most secluded pathway to the library, seeing as that's the path you'd prefer, and round a corner to storm down yet another corridor-like hallway. Only a couple more twists and turns until-

You blink a couple times, then rub your eyes and blink once more. You just rounded ANOTHER corner on your way to the sanctuary and had been expecting a sense of familiarity to settle into your being. Well, this certainly was FAMILIAR all right, but it was definitely not the kind of familiar you'd been looking forward to. Near the end of this hallway you see the very people you'd been trying so desperately to avoid, pressed against a locker in a heated make out session. Looks like other people were aware of this rather secluded area: not just you. THAT thought had never occurred to you.

They don't notice you, which is no surprise. Nobody ever notices you, and when they do they're usually just harassing you. You don't care all that much, though, because you know that they're just jealous. Why wouldn't they be? You're fucking amazing. You're watching the two people you hate the most make out and you're STILL fucking amazing. Not many people can pull that off.

You grimace in disgust and stomp over to him, footsteps echoing in the nearly desolate hallways. You've got their attention now because they're staring at you, probably with equal disgust. Good, you don't want them to like you. Once you're within an arm's length to Sollux, her boyfriend, you swing your fist towards his stupid face and smirk at the satisfying crunch. Sure, you were being rash with your actions, but who cares? You certainly don't.

Sollux has blood dripping from his mouth as he fights back, fist connecting with your stomach. You double over and hug yourself, completely unprepared for the onslaught of attacks this nerd is dishing out. First he kicks the arms covering your stomach, then pulls you up by your hair and punches your throat. You gasp for breath and grab his thin wrist, using your free hand to grab HIS hair and slam his face against the locker. He groans in pain and you smile, glancing over at a dazed Feferi as she tries to pry you away.

You effortlessly throw her down, bringing your attention back to that pitiful excuse for a boyfriend that she adored so much. You slam his face into the locker repeatedly, hoping to break something. The wrist you were gripping falls limp and you know he won't be fighting back anytime soon, so you kick the inside of his knees to make him kneel against the lockers. Then you knee the side of his face, sending him to the floor beside that stupid fucking whore.

Once the nerd falls to the ground, Feferi is quick to attend to him, cradling his head in her lap and glaring daggers at you with as much hatred as she can muster. You don't give a damn though, thoroughly pleased with your actions. Then there's another set of footsteps and the sound of someone clearing their throat. You turn around abruptly, unable to think of a lie as you come face to face with an adult, presumably a teacher that you don't have. Maybe these hallways weren't as desolate as you had originally thought?

"What's your name?" he asks, to which you cross your arms and close your eyes in defiance.

"That's none a' ya damned business," you pout, and you're more than startled when he grabs your wrist and pulls you away with a surprising amount of force. He leads you away from that hideous couple, much to your amazement, but when the office comes into view you gulp. Without even saying a word he pushes you forward, watching you and pointing at the door. You roll your eyes and open the stupid thing, walking into the stuffy room with your arms crossed and your face towards the ceiling. From the corner of your eye you see a ruffian occupying BOTH of the chairs, meaning you won't be able to rest after such an exhausting task, and you quickly decide that you do NOT like this person, nor do you belong in such close proximity to her. Too bad you'll be stuck with her for the rest of the week, but as was stated before, neither of you know this quite yet.


	3. The Beginning of Something Grand(?)

**You are now Phaedra.**

You're currently leaning against the wall with your left arm draped on top of the back of the chair. Your bottom is firmly planting in said chair, while your black combat boots are casually resting in the chair next to you. It also just happens to be the only other chair available for sitting in this office, and it also just so happens that a kid just walked in. He's refusing to look at you, nose pointed defiantly at the ceiling and arms crossed to maintain even a sliver of dignity. You know his type, and it pretty much sickens you, only not to the extent that most would think. He's wearing a pair of black and blue striped skinny jeans, which you'll admit that you're jealous of, a black sweater, and an abundance of jewelry. Like, far more than any guy should be wearing. He's wearing thick framed black glasses, which are completely unnecessary in size, but you still think their cool.

The sweater is a bit strange, considering it's freaking August, but it's no stranger than that purple streak in his black hair. You can understand why someone would want to dye their hair, considering yours is cobalt blue, but why just one streak? Why down the direct center? You smirk in his direction as you muse on what you should do to him. Maybe make his life a living hell while he's in here? There's really nothing better to do, considering the vice principal hasn't even shown his face yet. Dr. Scratch is the one who handles delinquents such as yourself, not Cal: he just yells and bitches about nonsense.

You look the boy up and down, openly checking him out and kind of liking what you see. If he didn't present himself as such a dick, you'd go so far as to call him sexy. Although, because of his apparent indifference, he is no longer sexy: he's sexy as fuck. You'll admit, there's a certain allure to complete assholes. Just look at Samantha!

"Hey, you with the purple hair," you call out, resisting the urge to stand up and extend your hand in an attempt to upset him further, "what are you in for?"

He looks at you with obvious disgust, eyes skimming over your form as he takes you in. You chuckle and shift in your seat a little, subtly opening your legs just a bit. He doesn't seem to notice, but does snort once he's done looking you over. This only encourages you to irritate him further.

"Like what ya see? Cause I don't mind letting ya see more," you tease, blatantly flirting with him right in front of Ms. Paint. From the corner of your eyes you see her giggle, bringing a hand up to cover her smile. You grin proudly as the mystery boy visibly tenses up, tightening his arms around his waist like he's trying to rip himself in half. Like fuck, could somebody actually rip themselves in half?

"Ugh, disgustin' filth," he says, more to himself than to you. His petty insult makes you laugh: just how rude can a guy be?

"Oh don't flatter yourself honey, I was just joking anyway," you tell him, feigning agitation with an eye roll, "but seriously. Why are you here?"

"That's none a' ya business, delinquent," he scoffs, pulling his gaze away from yours and staring straight ahead. You almost bust up laughing at his response because it just proved your earlier assumption. This guy, whoever he is, is completely full of himself! Ugh, why are the hot ones always bastards?

"You're in here too, so that makes YOU a delinquent as well moron. Or are you just too perfect to be considered something so vile?" you mock, tacking on a superficial voice as you speak. Your annoyance is only betrayed by the amused smile dancing across your features, but you can't help it. This guy was just too easy, and you just know today is going to be fun. He turns to face you again with a deep scowl, narrowing his eyes and storming towards you until his face is inches away from yours, and not in an ideal way. You instinctually lean backwards a little, realizing that you may have crossed a line here. Besides, maybe his reason for being here was super personal for him?

"Listen bitch. You wwanna knoww wwhy I'm here, huh? I'm here because I just beat the fuck outta my ex-girlfriends boyfriend, and unless you wwanna suffer the same bullshit, then I suggest you shut the fuck up," he seethes in an angry whisper, voice dangerously low. Rather than tease him like you usually would, or cower like most would, you move your legs out of the chair so he can sit and sympathize with him. He says nothing and takes the offered seat, once again avoiding your eyes entirely.

"Hey, the name's Phaedra Ellistin. Sorry about being such a douche I guess, but I can relate to the whole ex bullshit. I'm here cause I kicked my ex-girlfriends ass at lunch. To be honest though, she totally had it coming. She cheated on me three times and fucked with my sister, spitting on her face and shit. That didn't really sit well with me, and I wish I could've hurt her even more than I did. Then Cal had to interrupt just cause he's a dick, er, I mean 'Principal Caliborn'. I call him Cal cause it pisses him off," you explain, strangely ok with telling a stranger all this. You were always kind of an open person.

The boy just grunts and crosses his legs, placing his hands on his knee and looking poise as fuck. He's even straightening his back, while you're over here just slouching and shit. Sophistication HAS always eluded you, but you like to think you make up for it by being endearing.

"What's your name?" you ask, attempting to converse again. You figure it's a simple enough question, there's no way he'll find any offense to it even if he IS a super defensive person.

"Eridan Ampora, but you can go ahead and nevver call me that, seein' as wwe wwon't be talkin after this EVVER," he says, maintaining his poise and lack of eye contact. Damn, this guy was really good at being a dick.

"Why'd you beat up her boyfriend, Ampora?" you question, deciding to use his name anyway. What else are you supposed to call him? Hipster asshole would just piss him off even more!

"Cause he's a fuckin' geek, and I said don't bother usin' my fuckin' name. Actually, just stop talkin' to me all together," he orders, nose perfectly aligned with the ceiling again. You sigh and look over at Ms. Paint for assistance. She just gives you a small smile and takes a sip of her coffee, silently offering her condolences. See, even the secretary is all sophisticated and junk, and then here you are: already upsetting someone you just met. You're about to ask him something else, which would probably only make matters worse, but it seems that Dr. Scratch has finally decided to join you.

The door to his office opens and he files out in an all green suit, looking down at his smart phone with fondness. You guess he's texting his wife, a lovely woman he referred to as The Handmaid. It was an odd nickname, but Doc was a strange man. He looks up from his phone stares at you and Ampora, sighing and putting the device in his back pocket. He grins and shakes his head in mock dismay, immediately making the situation a million times better just by being here. He was pretty much the best adult you've ever met: besides your older brother, that is.

"What did you do this time Phaedra?" he asks with mild amusement, standing in front of you and Ampora. You extend a hand to greet him, which he gladly shakes. You retract the appendage and roll your eyes so he knows how you feel about the situation before explaining.

"You remember Samantha, right? Of course you do. Anyway, she spit in my sisters face and threw her down, so I kicked her sorry ass. Troi tried stopping me, but I kind of gave him this super mega death glare so he'd let go of me," you inform him, pretty proud of what you did, "Dude she was fucking bleeding and shit on the floor, it was so damn funny!"

"I'll admit, she did have it coming," Doc agreed, placing a hand on his hip to even out his weight. Beside you, Ampora ruffles a bit and addresses your conversation with malicious intent.

"Wwait, you mean you're fuckin' ok wwith wwhat she did!?" he asks, his voice laced with both surprise and anger. You chuckle and nod your head, allowing Doc to enlighten him. He'd explain it better than you, you're sure of that.

"Me and Phaedra here have a mutual agreement as far as Samantha goes: she is as bitchy as they come," he says, making you laugh, "Not only this, but I've known Phaedra for quite some time now, so her antics don't really bother me. Her intentions are pure, so all is forgiven. Although, she isn't entirely off the hook, seeing as Cal would have my job if I let her go. Phaedra, I am gonna have to call Ayexis. Plus, some detention will probably be in order. How about a week or something? Does that sound fine?"

You nod, although you aren't too happy about him telling your brother, Ayexis (ay-x-ee-is). He would ream your ass for sure, and you're getting real tired of upsetting him, even if your actions were 100% justified.

"Dude, do you really HAVE to call Ayexis? He's gonna get pissed," you say, hoping to change his mind even though you know your efforts are futile. It's school procedure to call home when something happens concerning a student, and as much as you hate it, you wouldn't risk Doc losing his job over it. Begging him not to call is more of a formality than it is anything else.

"You know the rules. Just be glad I'm not suspending you," he jabs in a humorous tone, and you know he'd never do something so crude like suspend you. He cares about you too much to do that, which gives you a very clear advantage over the school's punishments. Now that he's addressed your situation, Doc directs his full attention to Ampora, who looks confused as ever.

"So what's your name and why are you here?" Doc asks, dropping the informal tone and replacing it with something much more business-like. Ampora groans, probably disappointed he won't be getting the same treatment. You decide that the least you can do is help the poor guy out.

"He ain't all that bad Doc, he just got it in with his ex's boyfriend. Just call his parents and give him a week of detention too, seeing as things should be equal and everything," you say, offering your argument in a relaxed tone. Doc just nods and pops his fingers, satisfied that this worked itself out so quickly.

"Well if you say so. You two will have a week of detention, starting tomorrow. Which means yes, you will be present for Saturday and Sunday detention, as well as Monday and Tuesday next week. You two get to clean up after the football game this Friday too, so be ready for that. I'll go call your guardians and have them pick you up. At least then Cal will get off my back about it," he informs both of you, being lenient as all hell right now. It really helps to have none the vice principal for years, like seriously.

He walks off and heads back into his office, dishing out phone calls and names faster than you can say, 'Dude, I am so fucked when my brother gets here'. You turn to Ampora with a triumphant smirk despite how worried you are, figuring he owed you some kind of thank you for what you did. He looks at you with a frown and crosses his arm, abandoning his earlier posture and allowing both feet to rest on the carpeted floor.

"Don't you be getting' any ideas. Just cause you helped me don't mean I owwe ya a damn thing, got it?" he says, pointing at you as he speaks. You smile and quickly shoot your head forward, nipping his finger with your teeth and extracting a small yelp from the boy. He curses under his breath and you swivel, leaning against the wall again and staring at him possessively.

"I wouldn't have it any other way _Ampora._"

**Update took a little longer than planned, what with school and junk, but here ya go: chapter three! From here on out the chapters will take place during their detentions and will alternate POV's. **


	4. Always Bring Your Own Ride

**You are now Eridan.**

This is complete and utter fucking bullshit. Not only did you have to bear witness to that hideous display of affection between some nerd and your ex, but now you're stuck cleaning classrooms with some bitch who's intent on getting to know you for some reason. Where does she get off, trying to force you into conversation like that? You shouldn't have to even be near someone like HER.

You growl a bit as you spray the whiteboard with some stupid liquid that removes the dry erase marker residue. You watch the liquid inch it's way downward, leaving a trail of translucence in its wake. You just stare at the drops until they reach their end, pooling up where the teacher sets the dry erase markers not in use.

"Are you gonna clean the damn thing or just watch the whiteboard cry?" Phaedra asks, and you jump because since when was she standing next to you? She nods her head with an amused grin and takes her cloth, rubbing the liquid away and scrubbing the remaining dry erase marker from the white surface. You mumble some expletives under your breath, just loud enough so she can decipher them. You're hoping she'll take the hint, but then again, you've been dropping similar hints for the past hour and a half and she hasn't noticed. Or maybe she just doesn't care.

"The faster you get this done, the faster you can leave. That is, unless you're intentionally doing a shitty job just to spend more time with me," she says with a wink, making you gag, "You know, if you're that desperate to spend time with me, we could always do something OUTSIDE of detention."

You groan and pick up speed. After this there were only two more whiteboards to clean, so you figure afterwards she'll be out of your gorgeous hair until the next day. Satisfied with your cleaning, you push past her and enter the next room, quickly spraying down the white surface and wiping away the marker residue. She doesn't bother following you into this room and instead gets started on the next room, which you're thankful for because that means it'll get things done quicker.

You finish this board and walk down to the janitors closet, putting the cleaning supplies back. You don't see any sign of Phaedra, and you're hoping that you'll be able to sneak out without her seeing you. You round various corners until you finally see the double doors leading out of the building. With one more glance over your shoulder, you bolt out of the building with a smile on your face. She was actually gone! She was-

"You're pretty gorgeous when ya smile. You should try being happy more often buddy."

Oh dear lord, of COURSE she'd be waiting outside for you! How stupid of you to expect anything else. You turn to glare at her and cross your arms, to which she frowns. Could it be that your point has finally gotten across?

"I'll be honest, even before yesterday, you've interested me. You never seem happy about anything. Why is that?" she inquires, stepping forward and using her eyes to analyze your face. You take a step back when she gets too close, but she just gets closer and you wonder why she's even trying to talk to you. Why was she so serious all of a sudden? Then that same cocky grin takes over and any trace of sympathy is erased entirely.

"C'mon dude, we're getting lunch," she tells you, grabbing your wrist and tugging you behind her. She's surprisingly strong, so there isn't really anything you can do but run your mouth.

"I already ate lunch today you cunt," you lie, but she doesn't even flinch. She just keeps pulling you until you're at the parking lot.

"That's bullshit and you know it dude. You got in trouble for fighting, but there was no fight at lunch other than mine, meaning that you were NOT at lunch," she says, and it pisses you off. Then you quickly think of something else to say while the two of you stand in front of a black motorcycle with blue flames.

"I have second lunch shift."

"We have the same fourth period and the same lunch dipshit," she says, and you're pretty sure she's lying because you don't remember her being in Physical Science with you, "I sit in the very back with Troi, no wonder you don't see me. Whatever, if you don't wanna eat, then tell me where you live so I can take you home. Now put this on and get on the bike."

She hands you a purple helmet and climbs on the bike, steadying it with her feet. You pout because you know the helmet is going to ruin your hair, but the only alternative way you can get home is walking, so you give the address. Your older brother drove you to school today and he was too busy going on some date with some fag who's name you can't remember, probably being sickos at your house.

With the helmet now on, you sit behind her on the bike and begrudgingly wrap your arms around her waist. You notice that she's not wearing a helmet of her own, which is so not fucking fair. Why do you have to look stupid and she gets to look better? Still stupid, just not as much.

"Wwhy the fuck do I got to wwear this an' you don't?" you bitch as she starts the motorcycle and kicks up the stand. She chuckles and revs the vehicle, ignoring you in favor of pulling out of the parking lot. Once you're on the town road, she scoots back a bit and yells, "I gotta make sure you get home alive, don't I?"

You grunt and tighten your arms around her as the death machine called a motorcycle lurches forward. She just cackles like a maniac when you do, and once you're dropped off you decide that you should just drive to school on your own from now on.


	5. One of Those Movies

**You are now Phaedra.**

You swore to yourself you wouldn't do this again. You would NOT pursue another Samantha, and yet here you are, going after some asshole who so blatantly despises you. Anyone would be able to see this for what it was: you were trying to replace her. You were too prideful to take Samantha back, but still too weak to let her go, and this is the result. Fantastic.

You set down the sponge being used to wipe down the stove in the kitchen and allow yourself one little glance at Eridan, which soon turns into full on staring. Even when cleaning the school's kitchen, he still manages to look regal. He's wearing a green long sleeved button-down shirt with crisp white skinny jeans, black loafers, and the ever present jewelry, whereas you're just wearing a black tutu with a black mock-straight jacket, grey and black striped leggings, and dark grey converse. How did he always manage to look so much better than you?

He sways and hums something unfamiliar as he scrubs the cheap microwave, wiping away the excess food on the inside. You can't see his face, but he seems sort of happy right now, or at the very least content. All of his movements over the last twenty minutes have been fluid, and from what you've heard, he hasn't griped about a single thing.

"Hey Ampora, why so happy?" you call out, abandoning the work you were supposed to be doing. His humming stops along with the swaying, and you briefly wonder if you should've just enjoyed the view. He sets the sponge down and turns on his heel, staring you down with a menacing glare. Ya, you definitely should've just kept your mouth shut.

"I am most certainly NOT happy, seein' as I'm stuck defilin' myself wwith this labor," he retorts, and you smile in spite of yourself. You know he'll think you're making fun of him, but honestly you just think it's cute when he's upset. Although, you'll have to give him a little shit about the labor thing. You stride over to him, standing only a couple feet away, and shift to the side with crossed arms. A single corner of your lips quirk higher than the other in an amused half-smile.

"Not used to doing any work? Or do you just leave that stuff to the maids?" you tease, raising an eyebrow the slightest bit and switching which side to lean on. He snorts, which you think it the cutest thing ever, and turns his head to the side.

"For your information, wwe only havve ONE maid; the other is a butler," he corrects, and you just bust up laughing. You'd only been half-serious about the maid thing, but this douche actually had one? He was just too darling!

"Stop laughin' bitch, you're just jealous!" he nearly shouts, seething at your behavior. You should probably stop laughing and clutching your sides, especially if you hope to make him like you. You do just that and frown, deciding to be the better person in this situation.

"Hey relax, ok? I was just messing around, sorry. Besides, having a maid must be super cool," you say in an attempt to smooth things over, "Ha, me and my brother wouldn't be able to afford that shit."

Ampora cocks an eyebrow and finally looks at you again, probably urging you to provide a further explanation, but you aren't willing to give one. You probably shouldn't have even mentioned that part, hell, you probably shouldn't even be talking to this kid. You're just fooling yourself into thinking he'd even be your friend. You smile and shrug, feigning indifference. He's about to ask, but you turn away and grab the scrub off the oven. All you had to do was finish cleaning the kitchen, and then you could go home and play video games with your brother. Assuming he's actually home, that is.

You don't say another word to Ampora the whole time you're cleaning, and he doesn't push the issue. A part of you wants him too; wants him to ask why just so you can keep talking to him of your own devices, but he won't. Plus, the other parts don't want to talk right now. It isn't a depressing thing, it's just that you really don't like what conversations about money lead to.

After disposing of the expired foods, you place the sponge in the sink and exit the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with Ampora. You grin as you make your way out of the school because going home is the best part of your day. The drive home is so lovely, and your home itself was so inviting. You hope against hope that Ayexis is there because you really want to spend time with him. He was at his boyfriend's house yesterday, some kid named Cronus. He was a cool dude that seriously didn't belong in this generation, always talking weird and trying to act slick.

You push open the doors leading to the parking lot and immediately spot your baby. There weren't a lot of vehicles, seeing as school was already let out, so she was super easy to spot out. Your grin widens and you practically bound to her, going through the usual routine of putting your helmet on and starting the vehicle while supporting it with your foot. You rev the engine just to humor yourself and chuckle a little at the calming sound. You're about to speed off when you hear your name being called above the roar.

"Phae! Wwait up!" Ampora calls and you power down the vehicle to hear him properly. You watch him run over to you, still managing to look sophisticated like an asshole. Once he's beside your baby, he tugs down on his shirt and straightens out his features.

"My bro is at his boyfriend's and my fuckin' parents are on some stupid vvacation for the next month, so I wwas wwonderin' if ya wwanted to come ovver or somethin'. Not cause I wwant to hang out wwith you! I just don't wwanna be stuck alone wwith the maid," he says, stutter more evident in this statement than it'd ever been before. You actually like his speech problem, but maybe that was because he was inviting you over. That's probably half of the reason right there. Plus, today is your day off, so you don't have anything better to do. Well, there is your brother, but he's probably out with his boyfriend too.

"Whatever you say dude. Am I just supposed to follow you there, cause their ain't no way I'm leaving Jazzy here," you state simply, to which to rolls his eyes at how 'difficult you're being'.

"Fine, let's just go before I change my mind," he snaps, marching over to his vehicle which does NOT belong in a school parking lot. He owns a violet Mercedes Benz. Dear fuck, how much did his parents even make!? You start Jazzy back up to challenge the vehicle, and when he starts his it gives off a nice purr. You totally win. He drives ahead of you the whole way there, and you got to hand it to him, he can drive. You'd expected him to be one of those assholes that drove super slow to piss everyone off, considering how freaked he was on Jazzy, but no. He was speeding the whole time, which was fine with you because it gave you an excuse to speed as well.

Now, if you thought his car was something, then you had no clue what to even think of his house. You know those pearly white mansions with the gates out front that you always see in the movies? Ya, those movies were practically BASED off of Ampora's house. You pulled up behind him in front of the gate and waited until the gates fucking magically opened, allowing the two of you entrance. The rode went in a large circle pulling up to the house, and he parked right by the front door. You parallel park behind him and remove your helmet, doing your best to smooth out your hair before letting the helmet dangle off the handle of your baby.

Ampora is already halfway to the front door, so you practically sprint to catch up, nearly tripping on the white stairs. Like, why so many stairs? He rings the doorbell and looks at a strange tile by the door. The doors open dramatically once he does, and he ushers for you to step in first. The moment you do, your breath is not just taken away. It's gone, like it was never even fucking there. He had the whole damn deal: spiral staircase, an enormous foyer with two fireplaces, a large Persian rug in the center, mantles, the most exquisite furniture, and this was only one room. This one room, the foyer, was three times bigger than your apartment. So not even fair.

"Jealous?" Ampora asks in a sly tone, and even though you can't see his face right now, you know he's smirking triumphantly. Sometimes you think his ego is even bigger than yours! Much like his home is.

"As if. All this means is that we're always hanging out at your place, nerd," you counter with a smile, walking forward before he can object. You peer into the room to the right and see a large movie room that's literally decked out like it came straight from the theater itself. You've always enjoyed watching movies, so you decide to make this your destination and run to the room. Ampora shouts something behind you and you can hear his loafers against the marble floor as he chases you into the screening room. You're already sifting through the movies below the large TV when a certain film catches your eye. It's one of those horror movies that're too graphic to be shown in regular theaters and are given the rating X. You'd thought movies like this were myths!

It's titled _Blood Bath_, which doesn't sound very original, but if it's rated X, than it MUST be gory! You hold up the movie towards Ampora, and he just rolls his eyes and nods. You squeal in joy and put the DVD in before hopping back to the front row of seats. He sits in the seat beside you and huffs, but you're too overcome by child-like amusement to care. You hear Ampora clap, and then a man in a fancy tuxedo is in the room with you.

"How may I help you two?" he asks, first looking at Ampora respectfully, then casting a dirty look your way. Whatever, fuck him.

"I wwill take some lobster, and for the lady, if I can evven call her that-"

"I'll take some ribs and Dr. Pepper please," you cut off, not even acknowledging Ampora's remark. The butler looks astonished by your behavior, but you just laugh and add, "I'd really appreciate that."

He seems put off by your kindness, which is stupid. Just because you aren't rich doesn't mean you'e ill-mannered. You know how to show appreciation, unlike some people named Eridan. The butler nods and exits the room quietly, to which you pause the movie at its beginning. You want to make sure you have food before it starts. Twenty minutes later, the butler comes back with the ordered food, much to your amazement. How do you even make ribs in twenty minutes? You hesitantly take a bite, but it's not bad like you'd expected. It tasted… Amazing! You tell him as much and thank him for the food before he leaves once more.

Then you start the movie, happily eating your ribs and sipping your Dr. Pepper as guts and organs are thrown haphazardly on the screen.

**Alright so a little change, the next chapter will be both the remaining time spent at Eridan's, AND their time in detention the following day. Thanks for the support c:**


	6. Sway with Me

**You are now Eridan.**

You seriously regret watching this movie. You like to pretend that you love violence, but actually seeing it scares the ever-loving fuck out of you. Not only did this movie ruin any violent schemes you may have concocted, but it also destroyed any dignity you had left. It was bad enough you'd invited her over, but the position you were now in was compromising at best. In the midst of your fear, you'd gotten up from your seat and planted yourself in Phae's lap, burying your face in the crook of her neck every time you were scared, which was most of the time. She never laughed at you or made fun of you like you'd expected though; she just wrapped her arms around your waist and allowed you to squish her while her eyes remained glued to the screen.

At the time it hadn't seemed like a big deal, but now that the automatic lights had powered back on and the film was over, this arrangement was less than acceptable. Phae made no effort to remove you, only furthering your severe embarrassment. The embarrassment soon changes into resentment, and then you have an idea. She made you sit through a horror film, so YOU were going to make her sit through something you loved that everyone else despised: documentaries.

You force her arms away and stand up, turning your arms until they pop. Once you adjust to a standing position, you walk over to where the movies are located and search for your favorite. Then you spot your favorite, simply titled _Anti-Peace: The History of Every War Ever._ You set it to the side as you remove _Blood Bath_, giving it a look of disapproval before putting it back in its case and replacing it with the documentary. You giddily go back to your seat, picking up the empty plates covered with BBQ and dipping sauce and placing them in the vacant chair next to yours.

"Um, what are we watching dude?" Phae inquires, twisting her body to look at you. You smirk, ignore her, and cross one leg over the other, clapping as the movie starts. Jeffery, your butler, enters the room and bows.

"How may I help you sir?" he asks, and you watch his eyes dart over to Phae for a couple seconds before resting on you again. During those seconds, his face had contorted into a look of disdain, which sort of pissed you off for some reason. He didn't even know her, why did he get to look at her like that? Something inside of you snaps and you leap out of your seat to address him formally. You stand straight and tall so he remembers who's the boss here, and he visibly cringes.

"Do you havve a fuckin' issue wwith my friend here? You don't get to look at her like that, only I can. Your job is to servve me, and from noww on, you servve her too. Got it?" you say in a harsh whisper, looking up at him as your head was angled downward to give your words more hatred. He gulps and nods, making you smirk devilishly, "Phae, go ahead and tell this thing wwhat you wwant to eat."

"Hmm do you got any pocky? Strawberry specifically?" she asks politely, and even though you know you don't have that, you figure that Jeffery will have no problem going out and buying some.

"I don't think wwe do. Jeffery, go out and buy as much of this pocky as possible. Then fetch me a long island ice tea, and a Bloody Mary for the girl. You're dismissed," you say with a wave, sitting back down only to realize that you've missed five minutes of the film. Jeffery nods and leaves the room: good riddance.

"Thanks for sticking up for me dude, but you didn't have to do that. I'm used to getting looks, usually from you actually," she adds with a chuckle, making you extremely self-conscious for some reason. You look down at your outfit and smooth out the imperfections, happy for the automatic dimming of the lights. Then what she said registers; she's used to it (complete disregard of the second half of that)?

"Wwhat the fuck do you mean you're used to it?" you start, completely ignoring the documentary you adored so much. She smiles and shrugs in response, which will not satisfy you again. In fact, all it does is remind you of earlier when she mentioned she couldn't afford a maid. A lot of people can't, but she wouldn't even talk to you after that. Suspicions rise dramatically.

"An' wwhy did you shut dowwn after the maid thing?" you add, tacking on yet another question. She shrugs again and focuses on the screen, which you know is an act because nobody has ever shown any interest in in documentaries ever. Not even Feferi could sit through one of these with you.

"Ya know, history has always been my favorite subject. Where did you get this?" she asks, changing the subject completely. You scoff at her failure and reach out to grip her wrist painfully. She flinches at the contact and jerks away, staring at you with the eyes of a madwoman. Then she's standing up and storming out of the screening room. What the fuck is up with women, like seriously? You get up and follow after her, seeing her already at the door. She opens them wide and stomps down the stairs, and once you finally reach the door way you just watch her like an idiot. What did you even do?

You watch as she starts up her bike, not even bothering to put the helmet on, and follows the circular road around the centerpiece fountain until reaching the large gate. It opens once it senses her presence, and then she's gone, speeding off fuck knows where. You sigh and close the front doors, going back into the screening room only to see the empty plates gone. Anne Marie, your maid, must have cleaned up already. You sit in the chair Phae had been sitting it and slouch like she would, trying to figure out why her leaving made you feel so bad.

A few moments later Jeffery walks in with a plastic bag with a large Wal-Mart logo on it hanging on his arm and a drink in either hand. He silently hands you the long island tea, then sets the Bloody Mary in the cup holder in your arm rest. He then pours the bags contents on the chair to your right, where you'd been sitting before. Ten pink boxes titled Pocky fall onto the red seat, and it sends a pain into your heart. Then Jeffery sets the bag on top of the treat and exits the room, leaving you by your lonesome.

…

Since today was Friday, you and Phae were in charge of preparing for the big football game. Personally, you hated the sport, much like you did all other sports, but at least you'd have an opportunity to talk to Phae, who was still ignoring you. You were both in charge of cleaning up after the game as well, meaning the two of you had to come in Saturday, so it'd be best to mend things now. The game didn't start for another hour at least, and you were almost done setting up the admission booth and refreshments/food areas, so you'd have a lot of time to kill before anyone got here.

You wipe off the counter and let out a tired sigh because you're FINALLY done getting everything ready. You look over at Phae, who was in charge of the admission booth and setting up the seats for band member, and watch her unfold the last chair. She struggles with it for a while, then inspects it, struggles some more, and finally throws the damned thing down while cussing up a storm. She knocks another chair down in the process and throws her hands up, storming off towards the bleachers. You chuckle and walk over to the chairs, setting the fallen over one back up and attempting to unfold the source of her agitation.

Ya, it won't open. You carry it to the shed and grab a different chair, then set it in the open spot. There, done. You wipe your brow and rub your hand on your light brown skinny jeans, deciding to confront Phae about yesterday. You pull down your blue and black striped sweater and run a hand across the top of your hair, making sure you look your best. Then you march over to her with more confidence than any man should possess. If she notices you, she doesn't say anything or give you any reason to believe she does. She's just looking down at her phone with a stoic expression.

"Hey Phae," you greet once you walk to the top of the bleachers. There's a small platform hanging off the left of the top bleachers that's being held up by eight support beams for recreational purposes, and you decide to sprawl out there instead of sitting on those metal bleachers. You stare at the darkening sky and here her sigh, and a moment later she's sitting crisscross next to you, still looking down at her phone. You notice she has a single earbud in, and curiosity overcomes you. You grab the neglected earbud and pop it in your ear, and you have to admit, the music surprises you.

Judging by her outfit, you'd have expected rock or metal or something like that. Even now she looked the part! She was wearing a thin blue v-neck sweater and black skinny jeans, black fingerless gloves, and Converse with the Joker on them. Weird. She had on her usual black makeup surrounding her eyes and somehow her eyelashes sparkled. This was not a look that made you think jazz.

She was listening to an artist you knew named Dean Martin. The song specifically was _Sway_, one of the songs he was better known for. It made you smile and then you got an idea. You remove the earbud from your ear and pull the other out of hers, to which you receive a glare. Before she can say anything you take her phone and unplug the earbuds, letting them drop to the floor. Then you restart the song and turn it all the way up, setting it by the earbuds and extending a hand to Phae. You hope the invitation to dance is obvious, because you aren't sure if you'd be willing to say it out loud.

"_When Marimba Rhythms start to play,  
Dance with me, make me sway.  
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore,  
Hold me close, sway me more."_

Luckily she does, as she places her hand in yours and rolls her eyes with mild agitation. You know she's not too annoyed though, because of the amused smile on her face.

"_Like a flower bending in the breeze,  
Bend with me, sway with ease.  
When we dance you have a way with me.  
Stay with me, sway with me."_

You pull her close to you and do as the song says, swaying with her body to the music. Your left hand is intertwined with her right one as you lead, your other hand resting on her hip. Her other hand is lightly gripping your shoulder as she does her best not to look you in the eyes. Fine with you, because you don't want her to know that you're staring at where the V in her shirt ends. Hey, you're still a guy!

"_Other dancers may be on the floor,  
Dear, but my eyes will see only you.  
Only you have the magic technique.  
When we sway I grow weak."_

Then she looks up at you and you panic, darting your eyes up towards the sky. She laughs and runs her hand from your shoulder to your back, pulling you closer against her. You're pretty sure that you prefer this, and you wonder if you should say something.

"_I can hear the sounds of violins,  
Long before it begins.  
Make me thrill as only you know how.  
Sway me smooth, sway me now."_

"About yesterday...," you begin, "Wwhat did I do wwrong?"

"_Other dancers may be on the floor,  
Dear, but my eyes will see only you.  
Only you have the magic technique.  
When we sway I go weak."_

"It wasn't really your fault, it's just that you reminded me of my dad when you held my wrist," she half-explained, but now you just wanted to know more. You spin her around and once she's facing you again you dip her just as the song ends.

"_I can hear the sounds of violins,  
Long before it begins.  
Make me thrill as only you know how,  
Sway me smooth, sway me now.  
You know how,  
Sway me smooth, sway me now."_

You lift her back up as the song changes to something you'd expect. You don't actually know who the band is or what the song is, but for the record and the readers, it's _Asylum_ by Disturbed. Afraid of killing the mood, you rush over to the device and turn the music off, and she just chuckles behind you. Then you go back to her and hold her hands in yours, keeping her only a couple feet away.

"What IS your dad like?" you ask, hoping that she won't avoid the question. She shrugs and looks at your hand before responding.

"I can tell you what he WAS like. He beat my brother Ayexis all the time. Anytime he tried hurting me, Ayexis would step in and take the beating for me. I don't know who my mother is, but Ayexis says she was nice. Our father left about five years ago, when my brother turned 16 and I was only 11, so the first 2 years were really rough. When Ayexis turned 18, he rented an apartment and things got a little better. He works at an office now that supplies healthcare, and it pays pretty well. He's gotten like four promotions in the last four years, so that's nice. Plus when I turned 16 last year, the finances got better. Ayexis pretty much raises me, and he's an awesome parent," she explains, this time sparing nothing. It hurts you to know things for her and her brother were so hard. No wonder your house amazed her so much! Although, it sort of amazed everyone.

You decide you want to distract her from these obviously shitty memories, so you pull out your own phone and hand it to her.

"Pick any song you like an' wwe can dance the night awway or some shit," you offer, and she giggles. It's a strange sound coming from her, but you like it. She chooses Young at Heart by Frank Sinatra and sets your phone near hers. Then she wraps both arms around your neck and rests her face on your chest. You smile and wrap your own arms around her waist as the two of you dance for the next hour or so, only stopping when the football players arrive. You both shy away from the location and part ways, and personally, as you watch her drive off on her bike, you're sort of happy you have detention tomorrow.

**Why do I always have to put angst in my stories!? I just love typing sad things ;v;**


	7. Things Change So Quickly

**You are now Phaedra.**

You layer on your eyeliner thicker than usual today, even going so far as to use three coats of mascara. You have to look your best, after all. Well, technically you don't have to, seeing as you don't NEED to impress Ampora. You just really, REALLY want to. You smile at your reflection, deciding that damn, you look good. You've decided to wear a red and black checkered mini skirt with ripped black leggings underneath it, along with a black studded belt criss-crossing over it. You're also wearing a long sleeved fishnet shirt with a black halter top over it, red and black striped fingerless gloves, some assorted jewelry, and a tiny top hat on the left side of your head. All in all, you're pretty satisfied with your appearance.

"Phaedra darling~! If you'd be so kind as to exit the bathroom sometime today~? I am in DIRE need of the mirror~!" your brother calls out, rapping lightly on the bathroom door. You smile and roll your eyes despite the fact that you know he can't see you before picking up all your makeup and putting it back in its designated bag. Once you've placed it in the cabinet above the sink, you open the door and make an overdramatic gesture of welcoming.

"Oh Ayexis, I'd be ever so delighted if you came inside," you mock before looking up at him through your bangs and smirking devilishly, "of Cronus."

Your brother gasps at your inappropriate joke towards his boyfriend, whom you don't actually know, and then smacks the top of your head playfully. You snicker at your humor and duck under his arm to leave the bathroom and allow him his 'check-out time', as you call it. Basically, your brother spends ten minutes every morning just staring at himself in the mirror, occasionally pouting and/or taking selfies. He was pretty ridiculous, but you love him all the same.

"Sometimes I wonder what ever did I do to deserve such a disturbed little sister~?" Ayexis teases, already clocking into his check-out time by locking eyes with his reflection. You pretend to be offended by his statement and frown, adding a sniffle to emphasize your point.

"You've truly wounded me this time brother. I'm not sure if I can recover from such a derogatory phrasing of words, and from my own flesh and blood no less!" you exclaim, bringing the back of your hand to your forehead for dramatic effect. He breaks eye contact with his reflection momentarily to roll his eyes at your display, and then quickly reverts back to staring at his divinity.

"Best leave the theatrics to me love~!" he singsongs with a wide grin, to which you laugh because he is just such a girl! You tug down on your skirt out of habit before removing your phone from the waistline of it and checking the time: 11:57 am. You're supposed to be at the school by noon which, by the looks of it, won't be happening. Oh well, just means Ampora will have to wait a little bit longer to see you. You WOULD be polite and text him to let him know you'll be late, but you've yet to acquire his phone number. You'll have to remember to do that today.

"I'll think about it on my way to the school," you tell him, heavily implying that you need to leave. He tears his gaze from the mirror and looks at you instead, and then smirks broadly because he's very much aware of why you want to go to detention on time. You didn't tell him the name of your crush, but you did tell him you were interested in someone. He was just happy it wasn't Samantha again.

"You better let me meet this boy sometime soon! I need to make it clear just who he'll be dealing with if he hurts you," Ayexis says with a dark undertone that sends shivers down your spine. Ayexis was always good at making his threats very menacing and, during all the years you've lived with him, he has ALWAYS followed through with them. Ampora best be wary.

"Ya whatever," you brush off despite how much truth was laced in his words, "I'll be home around two."

"Alright be safe and wear a condom! I don't need any nieces or nephews yet," he jokes before resuming his check-out time. You chuckle and nod your head at his statement before leaving the door way and heading towards the front door, boots very evident on the hard wood floor. You grab your keys from the half wall and walk outside, grinning when Jazzy comes into view. She was the best bike you could possibly ask for, hell, probably even better than that.

You approach the bike and grab your helmet off the handle, putting it on over your head. Then you get on the bike, prop up the kickstand, and put the key in to hear her purr. Today was going to be so damn fun.

…

You don't bother parking in the school parking lot, deciding to instead park in the middle of the football field. You pull your key out of the ignition, remove the helmet and place it on the handle, then prop up the bike on its kickstand. You saw Ampora's car in the parking lot, so you're sure he's here, and then when you see him bent over picking up trash near the bleachers, you smile with longing. Abandoning all dignity, you practically sprint to his location until your boots are hitting concrete instead of grass. He straightens out and turns to look at you, but his lack of a smile concerns you. He looks… Sad.

Your smile disappears, face now etched with worry. You walk over to him and place a hopefully-comforting hand on his shoulder, to which he shies away from you.

"What's the matter Ampora?" you ask, searching for eyes that refuse to meet yours. He sighs, a release of air that implies he's been stressed for a while now. Was this because you were late?

"Look I know I was supposed to be here at noon or whatever, but I sort of woke up late and then I got to talking to Ayexis and I would have texted you, but-"

"That's not it Phae. Wwe, wwhatevver wwe are, can't go on," he tells you, still just staring at the ground. At first you think he's joking, so you laugh in hopes that he'll join in, but when he doesn't you grow even more worried than before. You guys weren't even dating and he's already breaking up with you? Can he even do that?

"Well why not?" you ask, trying your best to keep your voice steady. He just nods in the negative and turns away, not even having the decency to provide an answer. Your head goes limp and you find yourself staring at the ground much like he was moments ago. Why was he doing this? You can feel the corners of your eyes growing wet with unshed tears, but will them away because you wouldn't cry. If this is what he wants, than you can respect that. You force a smile and turn away from him to prepare for cleaning.

"I'll respect your wishes, but sometime in the future, I'd really like a reason why," you say simply before walking to the other side of the bleachers to clean, now wanting the day to be over. It's weird how your day can just change so suddenly. Today was going to be so damn awkward.

**Late update is late. Don't worry, it's all for the buildup of the story. Our little Eridan found out something that changes everything :P**


	8. Lack of Communication Skills

**You are now Eridan.**

_Early that morning…_

You awake to the annoying sound of your alarm as it beeps incessantly. Your eyes open the slightest bit as you check the time: 9:00. You wanted to get up early to ensure that you'd have enough time to get ready. After all, you had somebody to impress, which meant getting even more dolled up than usual. You force yourself to get out of bed and trudge to your closet, already knowing which ensemble you'd be choosing. You grab a pair of regular denim jeans and one of those ghastly tank tops. It wasn't your ideal outfit, but it would allow Phaedra to see more of your body which is a good thing you think.

After changing into the peasant-wear, you head into your private bathroom to prepare your hair. To keep things short, you spend the next hour and a half styling and gelling your hair to sheer perfection. You've gone with a hair style that looks like it's messy, but really, it's been planned. Phaedra won't even know the difference. You smirk in the mirror, then grab a toothbrush and toothpaste to brush your teeth. Afterwards you rinse with mouthwash, go to the restroom, wash your hands, and pull out some concealer. You apply it expertly to the few blemishes on your face until they're practically gone.

You exit the bathroom and check the time again out of habit. It reads 10:57, so you figure the chef will have something prepared by now. You lick your lips in anticipation and head downstairs, and when you're met halfway with the smell of French toast you're practically drooling. You enter the dining room and see your plate already set for you and your brother on his phone and wearing a tux for some reason, sitting close to your designated seat. He looks up at you and winks before going back to his phone, and you shiver in disgust at the gesture. You loved him, but he could be really creepy at times without even meaning it.

Sitting down at your seat, you're no longer able to resist digging into the French toast. You grab a fork and nearly devour it, another plate full of bacon soon replacing the empty one. Gosh, the chef just knew you so well.

"Aye chief, vhat're you all dressed up for?" your brother Cronus asks, setting his phone to the side. You nearly scoff at his question because really, it was just so absurdly false.

"I ain't evven dressed up Cro. Wwhat about you and that there tux?" you counter, sort of curious as to why he'd be wearing formal wear at eleven in the morning. He chuckles as if your question was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard and slouches forward, resting his elbows on the table in complete disregard of hygiene. He could be such a Neanderthal sometimes.

"Today's my one year anniversary vith my boy toy, squirt," he tells you, to which you roll your eyes. You've seen this boyfriend many times, and yet nobody in the family even knows the guy's name. It was ridiculous! Although, Mom and Dad are never home, and you don't really care, so it isn't all that surprising.

"Am I evver gonna actually MEET this guy? I don't evven know his name, howw old he is, nothin'!" you complain, pushing the now empty plate to the side for someone else to attend to. Eventually someone does, which is fantastic because it was just SUCH a distraction.

"Vell if ya must knov, his name is Ayexis, he's extremely sexy, and he's tventy-tvo," he informs you, and for some reason this strikes a chord inside you. The name just sounds so familiar, you wonder…

"Wwell wwhat's his last name?" you ask, hoping against hope it isn't what you think it is. Cronus smirks and leans back, digging into his pockets to fetch a carton of cigarettes and a lighter. He takes his sweet time to answer, placing a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it, and inhaling before finally blowing the smoke out and stating quite simply, "Ellistin."

_Present…_

"What's the matter Ampora?" she asks with so much concern it nearly shatters your heart. You want to tell her so bad, but the fact that your brothers are dating is enough to repulse you completely. You sigh loudly and look at the ground, and you just KNOW she's staring at you. You can feel her eyes boring into your form as she searches, begs for an answer.

"Look I know I was supposed to be here at noon or whatever, but I sort of woke up late and then I got to talking to Ayexis and I would have texted you, but-"

"That's not it Phae. Wwe, wwhatevver wwe are, can't go on," you tell her, cutting her off before you're forced to hear any more of that desperate tone. It's killing you, but this is the right thing to do. Besides, what if you tell her why and she thinks you're being selfish? She laughs awkwardly for a short time before it finally registers that you're not kidding.

"Well why not?" she asks, voice cracking just the slightest. You nod your head side to side and squeeze your eyes shut, then turn to the side, trying to hold in the tears. You needed to be rough so she'd get the idea, but if you so much as looked at her you'd fall apart completely. You hear movement from behind you before she speaks, and what she says finally finishes the job. Your heart is shattered.

"I'll respect your wishes, but sometime in the future, I'd really like a reason why," she says in an emotionless tone before her footsteps head in the opposite direction. You're surprised with how understanding she was and briefly wonder of you should tell her, but then decide against it. It was for the best if she didn't know, or at least that's what you think.

**Mkay so once again, super late. My bad.**


End file.
